Educators Gather in Pittsburgh to Personalize Learning

[For over ten years I’ve done research and shared my thoughts in graduate level courses at Carnegie Mellon University and in talks at conferences on Personalized Learning. Finally, we’re beginning to see some traction. At the Three Rivers Educational Technology Conference in Pittsburgh this November there were several events that tapped into the Personalized Learning theme. Here’s an article from Remake Learning that outlined some of the national and local examples for Personalized Learning.]

A middle school math program implemented in some New York City classrooms is called Teach to One—originally School of One—and at first glance, that’s a major misnomer. Enter a school where Teach to One is in progress, and you’ll see not one, but nearly 200 students participating in the experience simultaneously.

The “One” refers to the individualized learning plans each student follows. An online system continually assesses the students’ work, drawing up daily lesson plans tailored to each person’s needs and skills. Some students in the massive class are sent to work in small groups, while others go listen to a lecture or work alone on a computer. Teachers are stationed throughout the space, working in different ways with the students.

Studies on the effectiveness of the unusual math class have yielded inconclusive results, reports EdWeek.

Teach to One is an attempt at personalized learning, an approach whose definition can be as hazy as the results of its evaluations. Generally, it refers to teaching and learning that empowers students to learn at their own pace and in styles that make sense for them. Typically, technology is used to customize lessons for individual students, or to allow learners to progress through the work as quickly or as slowly as they need to.

Despite the nebulous definition, personalized learning has garnered plenty of practitioners and fans in recent years. In fact, some educators have long practiced what has been called “differentiated instruction”—teaching that attempts to correspond to students’ diverse learning styles. The advent of educational technology has earned the approach new fans who see more opportunities for implementation. They are working hard to figure out exactly how to make learning a personalized experience—and what resources and pedagogy that requires.

Share this:

Like this:

Related

About ngusky

Educator working as coordinator of technology for 20 years, classroom teacher for 15 years, adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon for ten years in Heinz College. Beginning new career as educational technology broker - www.nlg-consulting.net